WE NEED TO MAKE OUR LAUNCH VEHICLES BIGGER AND MORE POWERFUL

MYLSWAMY ANNADURAI former programme director, Chandrayaan-1, Chandrayaan-2 and Mangalyaan 

- ABHINAV SINGH

He is not called the ‘Moon Man of India’ for nothing. Mylswamy Annadurai played a pivotal role in developing the spacecraft for Chandrayaan-1, India’s first lunar mission. A Padma Shri awardee, he was the programme director of not just Chandrayaan-1, but also Chandrayaan-2 and the Mars Orbiter Mission. He was with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for 36 years and was also the director of the U.R. Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru. In an exclusive interview, he tells THE WEEK about the challenges associated with lunar missions and why India needs to further improve its launch capabilities. Excerpts:

Q Can India look forward to a manned mission to the moon?

A When Chandrayaan-1 was launched, we had a very modest launch vehicle—the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). When you compare it with Russia or the United States, they have superior launch capabilities, as they can push the spacecraft towards the planetary body with one shot. We do not have such powerful launch vehicles even today. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), too, does not have the capability to put the spacecraft directly towards the planetary body. India can further improve its launch capabilities.